American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) does Jekyll and Hyde on religious liberty

Has the ACLU lost its own way on the protection of religious expression?

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One thing for certain is the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has a long a distinguished career of being the watchdog and protector of American’s civil rights. The ACLU stood as a lion during the volatile civil rights struggle and continuously stood with legends as Dr. Martin Luther King before it was popular to do so.

So what has happened to the ACLU? Religious liberty has been assaulted within the last decade as never before in the history of America and the ACLU has acquired a nebulous record which can be compared to an old Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde horror movie.

One moment the ACLU does a magnificent job protecting the purity of the First Amendment which allows the freedom to express religion without restriction, and the next moment they are locked arm in arm with anti-religious thinkers that are suppressing free religious thought in this country.

An example of this inconsistency is being demonstrated in South Dakota by the chapter of the ACLU. The ACLU sent a letter to the Miller School District which protested the distribution of Bibles to fifth graders. The ACLU admits that the Gideons have a right to pass out the Bibles, but students should not be pressured to accept the Bibles.

Nevertheless that did not stop the ACLU to ask the school board to reconsider the approval to allow the Gideons to pass out Bibles because “they may pressure students to take a Bible”? The ACLU wants the Gideons, who have impeccable credentials about being non-confrontational, to be refused access because of what the ACLU thinks may happen.

The ongoing paranoia about the Bible corrupting children is being substantiated by actions as the ACLU. One of the most repeated falsehoods for banning religious expression or literature is the often times parroted fear that “somebody is being forced to do something”. It is sad that the ACLU decided to restrict access of the Gideons which is a direct affront to religious expression. This is a clear contradiction to what the ACLU itself is suppose to stand for.

There are other religious organizations being handcuffed by those claiming tolerance by being intolerant of religious expression, a clear paradox in the logic of civil liberties. These self-appointed thought policers are more of a danger than allowing the distribution of Bibles. Other philosophies are allowed to be accessible to children in elementary school without concern for “being forced to participate”.

The ACLU’s motto of “Freedom Can’t Protect Itself” has clearly been circumvented with some of its positions that actually are an affront to religious expression. The advocacy which is the purpose of the ACLU should be covering the Gideons right to hand out Bible and not shielding children from religious thought.

Those that are creating a foundation to water down religious freedom including the ACLU have twisted the meaning of the Constitution which allows the “freedom of religion” and not the “freedom from religion”, a deviation of a prepositional word that perversely changing what the Constitution actually establishes and protects.

“Freedom of religion”, an absolute civil liberty still guaranteed by the Constitution under Amendment One, badly needs to be reminded to the ACLU and others that have repeated bad information so long they actually believe it to be true.

Was not it Russian Marxist socialist Lenin who boasted, “a lie told often enough becomes true”?

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There are many claiming Christianity; be it a church or individual. But there are far few that actually practice Christianity. Just because there is a cross on the front of the building doesn't mean it's a "Christian" church or organization. Jesus Christ warned that "many shall come in My Name" but to not be deceived. This writer attempts to hold to the ideals that were introduced some 2000 years ago as a bridge from the past to a blessed hope in the future.